Lullaby
by MeeLee
Summary: [COMPLETE] [HoroRen] [contains yaoi] Sequel to Demon Child. A demon has escaped from Hell and now he's after Horohoro. Ren tries to protect him, but to fight a fullblooded demon, he'll have to become more than just a mere human. R&R.
1. I

**A/N: **So. Been a while since I've posted a HoroRen fic, but then I decided to start writing this and before long I discovered I'd written 10 pages, so I guess I might as well post it to give myself motivation to keep going.

As mentioned in the summary, yes, this story is the sequel to my Ren-centric one-shot, "Demon Child." Therefore, I strongly recommend you read that first before even beginning this, otherwise you won't understand a lot of it.

As also mentioned in the summary, this story contains yaoi content. Now this does not necessarily mean yaoi between Horohoro and Ren—their relationship is shounen-ai, as far as that goes. The yaoi warning is for a rape in later chapters. But we'll get to that eventually.

Err, I think that's all. First chapter is from the POV of the demon, but that'll shift in the next chapter. Enjoy!

As always, reviews are welcome and flames are ignored.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Shaman King.

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER I**

He had done it. It had only been a small opening, a tiny rift from a faulty summoning, but he had been alert. And that was why he had been able to escape—he, a man-demon who could think and act unlike the lesser animal demons that had surrounded him all his life. He, a demon above all demons, who had no equal. He, Krast, the first demon ever to escape from the fiery depths of Hell. And now he was going to have some fun in this human world.

He walked slowly down the lonely road, looking from side to side and sniffing at the air. His dark red eyes flashed, taking in everything—for even though there was no moon and all was pitch black around him, he could see everything. Hell was dark, and so the demons had adapted.

Where was this place? He did not know much of the geography of the upper ground, but already he liked the climate of this place. His thoughts wandered back to something one of his friends who had been summoned to the surface and returned had once told him: These humans are strong in mind but weak in body. Very fragile and easy to break. Great for sex if you're ever bored.

He laughed openly at this. That was a theory certainly worth trying out.

From far away his demon ears detected a soft sound, and he stopped his movement, turning his head slightly and listening intently. There—a footstep, light, young. He spun slowly, pinpointing the direction of the sound with his ears, and before long saw a dark figure round the nearby corner.

Immediately Krast was struck by the appearance of this human. He had spiked, light blue hair such as the demon had never seen before, and piercing black eyes that seemed to take in all the light around them and banish them into the dark abyss within. His hair was rather long and barely kept under control by a dark bandanna-like cloth tied around his forehead, and he wore a simple white T-shirt and a pair of short jeans that displayed much of his lithe and well-toned body. He walked with a carefree air, yet he constantly peered into the darkness as if he was having trouble seeing, which did not surprise Krast. Humans were weak, after all.

The human stepped into a small pool of light created by a single streetlamp, and Krast saw his face clearly for the first time and was immediately struck by its beauty. In all his long years in Hell he had never glimpsed many humans, and this one by far was the best of the flock, and all of a sudden he felt himself turn hot with lust. He wanted this human. Now.

He was across the street in an eyeblink, coming to a stop directly in front of the human, causing him to give a cry of surprise at his sudden appearance and stumble back a bit. The demon tried his most arresting smile and bowed low. "I am Krast," he said. "And what might your name be?"

The human blinked in confusion and did not reply. Suddenly Krast realized that he had been speaking in the demon language, and quickly shifted to the first human language he could think of. However, the human still did not respond to the question, and so Krast with a frown continued switching tongues until finally he hit an Eastern dialect whose name he faintly remembered was Japanese, whereas the human brightened and instantly answered in kind.

"Horohoro," he said with a cheerful smile. "You sure know a lot of languages, Krast-san."

"Thank you," Krast answered, and said no more as he got his first close look at Horohoro's eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes, black as the deepest shadows of Hell itself, mysterious as the dark night sky above them.

"You have very beautiful eyes," he said.

Horohoro seemed surprised and slightly confused at the comment. "Um, thanks," he said with a shrug. "I got them from my dad." He paused. "Er…is there anything I can help you with, Krast-san?"

"Just keep talking to me," Krast answered, taking a step toward the human. "I love your voice. It is very beautiful, just like you."

Horohoro frowned and slowly took a step back. "I—uh—I'm flattered, Krast-san, really," he said, his eyes flickering uncertainly up to the demon's red eyes and then all over his huge form. "It's nice that you think that, but…um…gee, sorry, I gotta go!" He turned to run but Krast leaped forward, covering the distance between them in an eyeblink, seizing the small human by the shoulders, digging his demon claws into the soft skin. Horohoro cried out in pain. "_Agh_—let go of me!"

"Horohoro," Krast said slowly, allowing the name to flow off of his tongue like sweet molasses. "What a beautiful name. Beautiful eyes, a beautiful voice…such a perfect human." He brought one hand up, blood evident on the sharp claws, and forcefully seized Horohoro's chin, tilting his face up so that deep red eyes met frightened black ones. "So beautiful," he said, and smiled when he saw the blood on his fingers. "Yet so fragile. I will try not to break you."

"_No!_" Horohoro screamed, struggling furiously. "Get your hands off me, you fucking rapist! Get off!"

His cries only served to elevate the fiery hunger already burning in Krast's gut, and bending down, the demon slowly dragged his tongue across the human's cheek, causing Horohoro to cry out and squirm beneath him. "Oh, I want you, Horohoro," he said. "I have never had a human so beautiful before." He wrapped his arms firmly around the human, raking his claws across Horohoro's back, drawing out another agonized cry. "Yes," he hissed in the frightened human's ear. "Scream for me, Horohoro. Scream…"

"Like hell I will—_Kororo!_" All of a sudden there was a flash of white and then it was Krast screaming, falling backward as the cold ice bit into his hot demon skin. From far away he heard a soft cry as Horohoro hit the sidewalk hard before the human scrambled to his feet, holding what appeared to be a short length of wood carved with intricate designs. Blinking away the ice that clung to his lids, Krast snarled when he saw the tiny figure hovering next to the human: she was a spirit, one who wandered the upper ground, enemy of the demon. Krast knew enough about humans to know that only a few in the world were able to control such spirits, and apparently Horohoro was one of them.

Very slowly, the human raised his wooden weapon, his breath hitching as he tried to suppress his previous fear. "D-Don't ever touch me again," he said, struggling to steady his voice.

Krast growled again, pulling himself slowly to his feet. He heard the sound of retreating footsteps, and looking up, saw that he was alone in the street. Instantly he let his breath hiss out through his fangs in disappointment and fury. So Horohoro was a shaman, was he? No matter. He would still have his human, no matter what the cost.


	2. II

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. Frankly I'm rather surprised that a lot of people like Krast; I was afraid I'd made him a stereotypical bad guy, but apparently not so, yay!

To answer **KittyKalika**'s question, yes, Krast is human in appearance. He is actually modeled after the demon Enlei, a character in my original fiction, "Before Sunrise." Actually if you guys want to go read that, it concerns vampires and demons and it is in my opinion one of my better works. Search FictionPress under penname MeeLee.

So. Aren't you happy I updated so fast? I figured since I have to go back to work tomorrow, I might as well. Some of the writing in this chapter is reminiscent of "It's Not My Fault." I have no originality.

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER II**

Usui Horokeu rushed up the steps of the small house as fast as he could, throwing open the door, darting inside, and slamming it shut behind him, breathing hard, one hand still clutching his ikapsui. Instantly several confused faces turned to him.

"Horohoro?"

"What's wrong?"

"You okay?"

He heard a shriek, and suddenly his little sister was by his side, peering at his arms. "Oniichan, you're bleeding!" Usui Pilika cried.

"It's nothing, really," Horohoro said, trying to smile but not quite getting there. He was still trying to recover from his terrifying encounter with that…thing, Krast. He couldn't have been human, after all. He had red eyes—what human had red eyes?

"What do you mean, 'it's nothing?'" Pilika demanded, worry clouding her young features. "These are really deep cuts! Did something scratch you?"

"Y-Yeah," Horohoro answered.

"What was it?" Asakura Yoh asked from somewhere in the back.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," the Ainu said, gently disengaging his sister and making his way through the crowd of his worried friends. "Don't worry, I'm fine, really. I need to clean up though."

As he walked toward the stairs, a cold, quiet voice spoke up beside him. "Your back is bleeding too, you know."

He turned and came face-to-face with Tao Ren. The Chinese cocked one eyebrow. "What kind of animal goes for the arms and then for the back? Unless you were stupid enough to turn around for it."

Horohoro glared. "It wasn't an animal."

Ren's eyebrow remained raised. "A human, then?"

Very slowly, the Ainu shook his head. "He wasn't human either." Turning, he made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom, closing the door.

Ren did not move to follow him, and neither did he say anything more. Instead, his clear golden eyes traveled slowly over to his friends, past them to where his older sister Tao Jun was standing with her back against the wall, arms crossed, her kyonshi Lee Bailong by her side. Their eyes met, and very slowly Jun nodded.

Turning, Ren sprang lithely up the stairs, arriving soon before Horohoro's closed bedroom door. Lifting a hand, he knocked decisively on the wood. An instant later, Horohoro's voice answered, slightly muffled by the wall. "Who is it?"

"Me."

"Go away, Ren."

"I think I know what attacked you tonight."

There was a pause before Horohoro answered, his voice considerably softer. "The door's unlocked."

Reaching down, Ren turned the knob and pushed the door open. He frowned upon seeing his friend sitting on the edge of his bed, his shirt lying on the floor, the dark cuts decorating his upper arms and his back. Horohoro did not waste any time. "Tell me," the Ainu said.

Ren approached him slowly, his eyes carefully scrutinizing the wounds. "The scratches are in sets of five, which means five fingers," he said. "That means it wasn't an animal. But it couldn't have been a human either, because nobody's fingernails could do such great damage." He looked up, golden eyes meeting black ones. "So what does that leave, Horohoro?"

The Ainu blinked, confused. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

Ren sighed, taking the cloth Horohoro had been holding and pressing it to the wounds on his right arm, applying pressure even as the Ainu winced in pain. When he spoke, his voice was soft and he glanced carefully around as if he feared being overheard. "Do you believe in demons, Horo?"

The Ainu scoffed. "Like hell I do," he said.

"Hm." Ren pressed down hard, enticing a groan from the Ainu, before removing the cloth and grabbing the roll of bandage. "Strange that you're a shaman who can see ghosts and control spirits, and yet you don't believe in demons." He tore off a length of bandage and began wrapping it firmly around the Ainu's arm.

Horohoro frowned. "What are you saying?" he asked. "That a demon attacked me today?"

Ren shrugged, tying the bandages down. "You got a better explanation?"

"Yeah, he was a man with really sharp fingernails," Horohoro said.

"And let me guess, a weird eye color? Fangs in his mouth?" When he heard Horohoro's breath hitch in his throat, he smirked. "Rather strange for a human, don't you think?"

Horohoro glared as the Chinese tightened his bandages. "And why should I believe you?" he demanded.

Ren only shrugged again. "I'm just telling you what I know," he said, before commanding in a strong voice, "Turn around." The Ainu obeyed, and Ren turned his attentions to his other arm. "Listen carefully, Horohoro," he said, and added even as the Ainu opened his mouth to speak, "and don't interrupt."

His friend was silent, and Ren nodded with approval. "I'm just giving you the basic facts now," he said. "We don't usually see demons here because they're all trapped in Hell. But to the best of my knowledge, they are divided into two types according to appearance and abilities.

"There are the animal demons, such as cat demons, hawk demons, and…dog demons. Then there are the more human-like demons, the ones who look more like us except for such bestial qualities as fangs and claws. They think like we do and behave like we do. And judging from what appears to have happened today…" He paused. "Apparently they lust like we do too."

Horohoro jumped, blushing suddenly. "How did you—"

"Call it a hunch," Ren answered, pulling the bandages tight and turning once again to face the Ainu. "How are you taking it so far?"

"Not a word," Horohoro said. "C'mon, Ren, those are just folk tales. You really expect me to believe something like that? Sounds like it came out of some cheesy horror movie."

He cried out in pain as Ren punched his bandaged arm. "_Ow_—what the hell was that for?"

He blinked when he saw Ren glaring at him, his golden eyes narrowed to mere slits. "I dare you to say that again," the Chinese shaman said, voice low.

His anger only served to elevate Horohoro's own. Did Ren honestly think he was stupid enough to believe something like this? "Oh, the 'cheesy horror movie' part?" he snapped. "Really, Ren, I thought you were better at lying than this."

Ren's eyes narrowed even further. "I'm not lying," he said.

"Prove it," Horohoro challenged. "Prove you're telling the truth. Show me something that's demonic and maybe I'll believe you."

Suddenly he was surprised to see Ren close his eyes completely. The young Tao slowly took in a deep breath and let it out, relaxing himself. When at last he spoke, his eyes remained closed. "I could've killed you for that," he whispered, almost to himself. "I could've…I would've." He rose from the bed and walked toward the door, his eyes still closed.

"Ren!" Horohoro sprang off the bed, suddenly realizing just how much he had angered the Tao, though he had no idea why. "Ren, wait!"

"Fuck you." And Ren disappeared out the door, leaving Horohoro alone in the dark room. The Ainu almost pursued him, but finally decided that it was not worth the effort. Wanting only to forget the whole thing, he finished bandaging his back, pulled on some fresh clothes, brushed his teeth, and climbed into bed.


	3. III

**A/N: **I know I usually update weekly, but I didn't remember until today. My apologies!

Anyway, thanks so much for everyone's reviews! You guys really make my day. For those of you who haven't read DC and are asking questions, yes, Ren is partly demon—though it's only his eyes. You'll have to read DC for the backstory though. That's the whole point of a sequel, right?

So. This chapter is rather short, but that's because the next chapter is more exciting. But that depends on whether or not you're a Horohoro fan, I suppose…

Keep on reviewing! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside…

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER III**

Where was he? It was dark, so dark. He was lost, and he was scared. Just one little person, and the endless darkness.

He shivered. It was cold. Where was everyone? Where were his friends, his family? He was so alone. He wanted someone to be here. Someone, anyone.

Please?

"Horohoro." The voice was soft, low, echoing in the dark.

He responded instantly, reacting to the voice, so relieved. He was not alone anymore. "Yes?" he whispered, his voice small. "Where are you?"

"Right here," the voice answered, soft, soothing. "Right here with you."

"I can't see you," the Ainu said, peering into the blackness. "I can't see you."

"Here, Horohoro, right here," the voice said. "Relax now." And suddenly the darkness came to him, wrapping him in a warm embrace, and he felt himself grow calm. It was warm now, so warm…

"Yes, Horohoro," the voice said. "Come to me. Come close. We'll be together here now. Just us, my beautiful human."

Human? Something about that word struck a wrong chord with Horohoro.

"Just you and me," the voice continued, and suddenly Horohoro began to realize it was familiar. "Alone and together. My beautiful human."

It was growing warmer still. Warm until it was hot and uncomfortable. And suddenly Horohoro did not want this anymore. "St-Stop," he cried. "Please."

"Not now, Horohoro," the voice said. "Not when you're mine, my human. All mine…"

"_Stop!_" Usui Horokeu shot straight up in bed, breathing hard, the inhuman screech of pain still echoing in his ears. He could feel the tension in his arm from having used so much shamanic power in such a short time, and upon hearing the sound of hissing breaths he turned to see Krast crouched in one corner, half of his body frozen, glaring at him with feral red eyes.

The Ainu's entire body was shaking as he got slowly out of bed, realizing suddenly just how close he had come when he noticed that his undershirt was lying across the room and his boxers were half-down. Pulling them back up, he advanced on Krast, still crouched in the corner.

"Foolish human," Krast hissed, glaring up at Horohoro with those gleaming red eyes. "How dare you…"

When Horohoro spoke, his voice trembled. "Get out of here," he said, shaking with something more than fear, "or I'll freeze your ass over."

He was surprised then when Krast laughed, a low, hollow sound. "My poor human," he whispered. "Poor, beautiful human. So foolish, so naïve to think he can escape from me, hm?" Horohoro swallowed and took an involuntary step back when Krast got slowly to his feet, towering above the small Ainu. He grinned, displaying a set of gleaming fangs that made Horohoro's hair stand on end. "Poor little human who thinks he can escape. But he can't, can he?" He took a step forward, and Horohoro instantly shuffled back. "Can't escape, no, he can't, not from Krast, lord of demons. I will have you, my beautiful human. I will."

Horohoro gave a cry of surprise and fell back when Krast suddenly leaped forward, but then he heard Kororo chirp encouragingly in his ear and instantly raised his ikapsui. In a flash half of his room was coated with ice, and he barely had time to hear Krast shriek in pain before the demon turned and crashed through the frozen window, disappearing into the night.

Horohoro was left standing in the middle of his room, breathing hard. For a moment he simply stared at the broken glass where the demon had last been before another chirp from Kororo brought him back to the reality of the moment. Shaking himself, he swallowed hard and glanced around his room, the desk, the chairs, the walls, the door, and half the dresser all frozen over. Suddenly feeling strangely cold, he walked across the room, picked up his discarded shirt, and pulled it on. Making his way to his dresser, he grabbed the first set of shirt and pants he could find and dressed quickly. Turning then to make sure Kororo was still with him, he slowly pulled open the frozen door and stepped into the hallway.

Everything was dark; apparently the ruckus caused by Krast had not been enough to rouse his friends, probably because Horohoro's room was a ways from everyone else's. Peering carefully into the dark to make sure Krast was indeed gone, the Ainu quickly picked his way down the hall, headed for the door at the very end. Coming up before it, he knocked softly a few times and waited.

Before long there came the sound of shuffling before a familiar, irritated voice called, "What do you want?"

Horohoro swallowed. "Ren, it's me."

There was silence for a moment before Ren answered, his voice cold. "How dare you—"

"Ren, I believe you now." Horohoro glanced nervously at the darkness around him. "Please, let me in." He swallowed hard, and when he spoke, his voice was small. "I…I'm scared, Ren."

Again there was silence before finally he heard the lock slide apart. The door opened, and then suddenly someone grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the room, throwing him rather unceremoniously onto the floor. Rubbing his head, the Ainu looked up to see Ren closing the door behind him, his golden eyes still angry. "I don't even know why I'm doing this," the Chinese said.

"Look," Horohoro said, rising to his feet. "I'm sorry about what I said, okay? I should've believed you, but it was all just really hard to process."

"Hn." Ren glared. "And now all of a sudden you believe me because…?"

Horohoro took a deep breath. "He came back, Ren." He saw Ren's golden eyes widen slightly in the darkness. "He sneaked into my room while I was asleep and…he tried to rape me."

For a moment it seemed that Ren was going to make another angry reply, but instead his eyes traveled down to Horohoro's hand. "I suppose that's why you've got your ikapsui with you?" he asked in an even tone.

Horohoro nodded. "I don't know how long I'll be able to hold him off, though," he said, and then looked up, meeting his friend's eyes. "Ren, you were right. He is a demon, he said so himself." He took a deep breath. "I need your help, Ren. I don't know how to deal with this."

Ren sighed as if exhausted. "Sit down. You're shivering." Horohoro obeyed and allowed the Tao to drape a blanket over his shoulders. "All right, so you've got a demon after you," Ren said. "What exactly do you expect me to do about it?"

"Well…" Horohoro allowed his voice to trail off. Ren had a good point; what exactly _could_ he do about it? "You're…" He sighed. "You're strong…stronger than me." Damn, but that was hard to admit.

Ren cocked an eyebrow. "You really think so?"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" the Ainu snapped, blushing.

Ren rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine," he said. "So you want me to protect you?"

"Y-Yes."

"All right. What's this demon's name?"

"Krast."

"Hm." Ren frowned. "Never heard of him before."

Horohoro blinked. "Just how do you know so much about demons anyway, Ren?" he asked.

He was surprised to see Ren start uncomfortably at the question. Almost immediately the Chinese shaman turned away. "None of your business."

The Ainu frowned. "You've had a run-in with one of them before."

Ren coughed but said nothing. Horohoro shifted, glancing around them at Ren's room. "Look, if you don't want to talk about it here, we can go outside." He had a feeling that Ren was holding back only because Yoh and the others were within earshot.

Confirming his suspicions, the Tao rose, grabbing his jacket and tossing a spare to the Ainu. Walking to the corner of the room, he bent and picked up his kwan dao. "All right," he said. "Come on." They exited the room, headed down the stairs, and stepped through the door into the cold night. Horohoro thought he saw Ren shiver but could not be sure; out here in the moonless night, with not even a streetlamp to give them any light, he could hardly see beyond his own nose.

"Horo." He turned at Ren's voice, but could not see his friend. The Tao sounded annoyed. "You coming or not?"

"I…can't see," he said sheepishly.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier?" He felt someone take his arm as Ren slowly led him down the sidewalk. "Come on."

"How come you can see so easily?" Horohoro asked, barely able to distinguish Ren's golden eyes in the darkness.

"That's…part of what I'm going to tell you," Ren said.


	4. IV

**A/N: **Once again, thanks for all the reviews! I haven't had a fic this popular in a while. (Proof of how pathetic I am…)

As promised, more action in this chapter. Now why doesn't Ren use Bason? Why doesn't Kororo fight on her own? The answer is: don't ask me. Ignore the details…

Hopefully people won't like Krast as much after this chapter…oh, and here's your **yaoi warning **for the rape—even though it's not graphic, thank goodness.

I am not going to answer any more questions concerning Ren's demonic side, because if you don't understand, that means you haven't read DC and that's not my fault.

**Celestial-gal – **The night is just dark and Horohoro can't see. There's no moon, no streetlights, etc.

**RenFan33 – **Um…isn't DC being a prequel to L the same as L being a sequel to DC…?

**Chain-Shinigami – **I can't tell you right now. Let it suffice to say that a lullaby becomes important near the end of this story.

Once again, thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy this chapter! (Up to a certain point…)

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER IV**

Krast, lord of demons, was furious. How could that human constantly defy him? Why was he so rebellious? The demon growled, crouched in the dark alleyway, still shaking some of the ice from his appendages. That human…that beautiful human. He wanted him still, and his resistance only made him all the more desirable. Beautiful…and powerful. Krast couldn't wait to hear him scream.

His sensitive demon ears picked up the sound of voices approaching. Instantly he felt his entire body tense. One of them he recognized as Horohoro's, the beautiful voice that he could not forget. The other he had never heard before.

Peering carefully around the corner, he saw easily the two figures coming slowly down the sidewalk. He immediately recognized Horohoro, walking a bit unsteadily on the left as if he was having a hard time seeing in front of him, which did not surprise Krast. Only demon eyes could see in this darkness.

Krast blinked when he saw the other human. He walked with a steady pace, as if absolutely certain of his path. Krast felt his breath hiss slowly between his teeth when the human drew nearer—he could sense an aura, a demonic aura about this human. But that was impossible! A human was a human, a demon was a demon. There was no way to mix the two.

Something flashed gold in the night, and Krast narrowed his eyes as this new human became clear to him for the first time. Instantly the demon recognized the eyes: golden, large, with slitted pupils, just as he had seen on many a dog demon. But why did this human have demon eyes?

A small voice whispered in his mind of a rumor he had heard long ago, of how several years before a powerful dark witch of the east had come to Hell searching for a pair of good eyes. Different stories told of different demons who were selected, but the end result was always the same: they were returned with empty sockets in their faces. It was just a rumor, though, gossip that often passed between demons. Wasn't it?

Krast shook his head slowly, watching the two approaching humans. It didn't matter anyway. Demon eyes or no demon eyes, this new human would be no match for a full-blooded demon. Maybe if he was fortunate, he could have two humans at the same time.

The new human turned to Horohoro and said something that sounded like, "Careful." Instantly Horohoro moved, barely avoiding the street sign and thus pressing even closer to his companion. Krast felt his gut boil with jealousy when he saw how close they were, how Horohoro clung to his companion's arm. How dare someone else touch his human! He was the only one, Horohoro was his and his alone! He sprang from his hiding spot in a rage.

* * *

Horohoro steadied himself after the near-miss, hardly believing what he was hearing. He turned to his companion, slowly shaking his head in disbelief. "Say that last part again," he said.

Ren sighed. "She said the spell, implanted my eyes, and I fainted," he said. "Is it that hard to believe?"

"Well, let me think," Horohoro said, tapping his chin. "Hm, yes!"

Ren glared, though of course Horohoro could not see it. "Just for that comment, I'm gonna let you run into that pole."

"Wha—_ow!_" Horohoro rubbed his nose tenderly before turning to glare in the direction he believed Ren was standing. "That wasn't funny!"

"Wasn't meant to be," his friend answered. "Now you—" He stopped, and Horohoro felt his arm tense beneath his grasp.

"Ren?" the Ainu whispered. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly Ren's body sprang to life and he shoved Horohoro roughly aside. "Get out of the—_agh!_" Ren's arm, which Horohoro had been gripping, was suddenly yanked out of his grasp. Something hit the Ainu hard and he fell back onto the sidewalk, crying out as sore nerves made contact with the hard concrete.

He was on his feet again in an instant, clutching his ikapsui, Kororo by his side and at the ready. Peering carefully into the darkness, he could hear the sounds of a struggle but could not pinpoint its origin.

"Can you see them, Kororo?" he whispered to his Koropokkur companion. Kororo only chirped and shook her head; apparently even spirits could not see in such blackness. Horohoro cursed silently. He couldn't fight blind!

Suddenly he heard a voice that was distinctly Ren's give a cry of pain, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. An instant later powerful arms closed around the Ainu, and Horohoro felt his blood run cold when Krast's low, malicious voice rang in his ear. "Hello, my beautiful Horohoro," the demon whispered.

"Koro—" But the Ainu never finished, for at that moment he was struck a hard blow across the face. His entire world spun, and from far away he heard the sound of his ikapsui clattering to the floor.

"There now," came Krast's voice in his ear. "No use struggling, my beautiful human. You are all mine."

"_Kiisama!_' Suddenly there was the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. "Get away from him!" Something hit them from the side, and with an agonized cry Krast was dislodged from him, disappearing once again into the darkness. Horohoro sank to his knees, still dazed, but soon felt a strong hand grip his shoulder.

"You okay?" came Ren's voice.

Horohoro had never been so relieved to hear it. "I'm all right," he said, "Just a little dizzy."

"Good," Ren answered. "Now come on, we—" He was suddenly drowned out by a bestial roar.

"_Insolent human!_" cried Krast's booming voice. "How dare you defy me!"

Horohoro heard Ren gasp. "Oh _shit_—move, Horo!" He was suddenly lifted slightly before being shoved roughly aside so that he stumbled forward. Even as he fell toward the concrete of the sidewalk, he heard Ren's cry of agony, accompanied by another sound, a strange…fleshy sound.

An instant later something heavy hit the ground. And then Horohoro heard it.

_Drip, drip…_

Quickly he pushed himself up from the ground, turning. "Ren?"

No answer, only the continuous _drip, drip._

"Ren?" _Drip._ "Ren!" _Drip, drip, drip…_

Then another sound came to him, a low, hissing breath that he recognized all too easily. "Now, my beautiful human," came Krast's voice, "It's just you and me."

Quickly Horohoro tried to rise but was suddenly seized by the shoulders and pinned down against the ground with a heavy weight. Krast's voice came to him again, right beside his ear. "Poor little Horohoro, all alone without his protector now, hm?"

"Get off me!" The Ainu kicked out, but Krast pinned his legs with his own, entangling them together and allowing his weight to fall completely onto Horohoro, nearly cutting off his wind.

"No, you don't move, my beautiful human," he said. "You don't move at all while I make you mine. But…do scream, Horohoro. Scream for me."

"_No!_" Cold terror coursed through Horohoro's mind when he felt Krast pull his pants off, followed shortly by his boxers. "No, stop—Ren! _Ren, help me!_"

_Drip, drip, drip…_

A high-pitched scream echoed eerily through the night. Seconds later, the pain overwhelmed him and Horohoro fainted.


	5. V

**A/N: **Sorry, was I late with the update again? My bad…

I agree with all of you: poor, _poor_ Horohoro. Sometimes being an authoress can make you feel pretty damn guilty about the stuff you write…

Anyway, here is the beginning of the portion of the story I have affectionately nicknamed the Soap Opera. No prizes for guessing why it has that name…

Keep reviewing! I feel so honored…

Oh, and before I forget, thanks to **Chain-Shinigami** for drawing a fanart for this fic. Can't wait to see it! _–grin-_

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER V**

_Beep. Beep._

The small figure on the white hospital bed shifted slightly in his sleep.

_Beep. Beep._

A low groan was heard.

_Beep._

Very slowly, Usui Horokeu opened his eyes. His vision took a moment to focus, but he was finally able to make out the endless clean white of the hospital room, the afternoon sunlight streaming in through the window, the various machines that surrounded him, and the bundles of flowers and stuffed animals that littered the room. He blinked, confused for an instant. Why was he here?

"Oniichan?"

He turned at the voice and managed a smile. "Hi, Pilika."

Young Usui Pilika instantly reached down, grasping her brother's pale hand in her own. "I—I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered.

Horohoro frowned when he noticed his sister's eyes filling with tears. "Pilika, what's wrong?" he asked, reaching up to touch her cheek. "You okay?"

Pilika swallowed hard and nodded. How could her brother worry so much about her when he was the one who was hurt? He was the one who had been…

Horohoro's words brought her back to the moment. "Why am I here, Pilika?" he mumbled sleepily.

Tears rushed once again to her eyes. "You…don't remember?"

"Hm." The older Ainu allowed his eyes to slip shut, and for a moment Pilika thought he had fallen asleep again when suddenly his entire body gave a jolt and his eyes sprang open once again, a small cry escaping from his lips. His hand tightened around her own, and his other hand came up to cover his face as if he wanted to block out the images. "Oh, _shit…_"

"Oniichan?" She tugged at his hand, finally dislodging it from his face so that she could see the tears streaming freely down his cheeks. "No, Oniichan, please…"

"No…" Horohoro whispered, his voice choked. "No, he couldn't have…tell me he didn't rape me!"

Pilika swallowed hard, reaching forward and gathering her brother into a comforting embrace, feeling him tremble against her chest. "I'm so sorry, Oniichan," she whispered, trying hard not to break down. "Don't cry, please…shh, it's okay…"

"Ren…" Horohoro's voice was barely audible, muffled by Pilika's shirt. "Where's Ren?" When his sister did not reply, he lifted his head, looking straight into her eyes. "Pilika, where is he? Is he all right?"

He felt himself grow cold when he saw his sister shift uncomfortably. "I'll call the nurse and have her check you out," Pilika said, turning from him but he grabbed her arm.

"Tell me," he said, his voice desperate. "Please, where is Ren?"

Pilika bit her lip, tears gathering in her eyes again. "I-I…"

"Pilika, I need him here," Horohoro whispered. "Please…I need him, his strength. He can help me get through this. Where is he?"

"My brother can't be here at this time." Both Ainu turned at the voice to see tall, regal Tao Jun standing just inside the doorway, watching them. When the daoshi spoke again, her voice was sad. "I'm afraid he can't help you right now, Horohoro," she said. "He…has his own problems to deal with."

Horohoro blinked, suddenly remembering the dripping sound he had heard in the darkness. The blood drained from his face. "No, Jun, you can't mean—"

"Don't worry, Horo, he's not dead," Jun said, still in that same even tone. "He's…" She sighed, and for the first time they saw what could be traces of tears in her eyes. "He was three inches away from being sliced cleanly in half, and now he's in a coma."

Pilika blinked. "He still hasn't awakened yet?" she cried. "But the doctors said—"

"Yes, I am aware of what the doctors said," Jun said. "My brother should have awoken hours ago, but the fact remains that he is still sleeping." She paused. "I…don't think he wants to wake up."

"What the hell does _that_ mean?" The sudden outburst from the patient in the bed startled both women. Horohoro clenched his fists. "What do you mean he doesn't _want_ to wake up? Is he just going to let me suffer by myself?" His breath came in short hitches, and the tears rushed to his eyes. "He said he would protect me…"

Jun frowned. "Horo, Ren is badly hurt, just as much if not more than you. I would give him the benefit of a doubt if I were you."

Horohoro shook his head, his tears striking the soft white sheets beneath him. "He said…he'd protect me…"

"He did protect you, Horohoro." The Ainu looked up to see Tao Jun looking straight at him, violet eyes emotionless. "He took the most serious hit for you. That's why he is in a coma and you're not."

"Don't you dare put this on my brother!" Pilika snapped with a frown.

Tao Jun raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't my intention," she said. "I'm just giving you the facts of what we believe happened when we found you." She paused. "Unless…there's something we missed?" When only silence answered her, she cleared her throat. "Ren's not the only one who knows what attacked you, Horohoro," she said, speaking softly, and then she turned and disappeared into the hallway.

As soon as she had gone, Pilika turned to her brother. "What did she mean by that, Oniichan?" she asked. Horohoro did not answer, turning instead to look out the window at the encouraging sunlight.

* * *

Tao Jun walked slowly, majestically down the clean hallway, but as soon as she entered the small hospital room it seemed her feet gave out beneath her for she sank immediately into the nearest chair, heaving a heavy, shaky sigh and resting the side of her head on her hand. Looking up, she blinked, trying to force her tears back as she saw the slim, fragile figure lying on the bed before her. Tao Ren looked so small and vulnerable, lying there surrounded by white hospital sheets and beeping machines, his eyes closed and his face pale.

"Miss Jun?" She looked up to see Bason in his Hitodama mode floating up to her. The spirit looked worried. "Are you all right?"

Jun nodded slowly, taking a breath and steadying herself. "Any change, Bason?" she asked, addressing the ghost.

The spirit shook his head. "He still has not moved," he said. "The doctors came in to check on him a few minutes ago to make sure he hasn't developed any sores, but they say he's in the same condition as before."

Jun sighed. "I don't understand, Bason," she said. "Ren is usually such a fighter. Why is he just giving in now?"

"I wish I knew, Miss Jun," Bason answered.

The tall daoshi slowly shook her head. "He has until midnight tonight," she whispered. "That's what the doctor said. If he doesn't wake up before then, he won't wake up at all. Ever."

"I am aware," Bason said, and then he sighed softly. "If only there was something I could do to help bocchama…" He blinked when the daoshi straightened at his words, shooting up from her chair. "Miss Jun…?"

"There is a way you can help, Bason," Jun said, turning to the confused spirit.

"I don't understand."

Jun walked slowly over to stand by the bed, looking quietly down at her little brother for a moment before finally saying in a soft voice, "When my brother merges his spirit with yours, doesn't he also fuse your minds?" When Bason gave a slow nod, Jun reached out, gently touching the side of Ren's face. "Don't you think you could do the same thing now, and find out what's wrong with him?"

There was a pause before Bason sighed softly. "I…wish I could have thought of that sooner, Miss Jun." **(A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but it struck me while I watched the series that Bason could be an idiot sometimes...)**

The young daoshi frowned. "Well then, what're you waiting for?" Without another word, the spirit passed into Ren's chest.

* * *

He liked this place. He remembered it well; as a young child, he used to always come here to flee the pressures of his family, to cool his head—which was precisely why he was confused, because right now he was doing neither.

Why exactly was he here, anyway?

The cool night air blew in a soft breeze toward him, caressing his skin with a mother's light touch. He lifted his eyes to the speckled sky above, resting his head against the trunk of the tree, noticing out of the corner of his eye the small wisps of cherry blossom fluttering to the ground all about him. It was light, yet not so light that it stung his sensitive eyes. It was dark, yet not so dark that his vision had to alter to allow him to see.

Still, even as he tried to relax in the night's peace, something kept nagging at the back of his mind, a small voice that whispered to him that this was not real, that he had to leave this place. He knew it was all an illusion, of course; no scientific law in existence could explain how, after Krast had stricken him with such a powerful blow, he could have ended up somewhere like this. He knew also that he had only to put in the effort, and he could easily leave this place. But…he did not want to. It was so peaceful here…

"Bocchama."

Ren blinked; had he just heard a voice? He shifted slightly, cocking his ears, and soon the wind bore to him the same call. "Bocchama."

He turned his head slightly, and saw a figure approaching from the darkness. "Bason?"

"I am here, bocchama," said Bason, stepping into the moonlight and bowing low.

Ren frowned. "What're you doing here?" he snapped, suddenly irritated that his spirit had interrupted the tranquility of the area.

Bason straightened. "I was sent here by Miss Jun."

The Tao cocked an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"She wishes to know why you refuse to awaken."

"What do you mean?" Ren asked. "I'm awake right now."

"No, bocchama," Bason said. "You are currently comatose in the hospital."

"Oh, _that._" The spirit looked up in surprise as the young Tao shrugged, settling more comfortably against the tree. "Yes, I'm aware of that."

"You are?" said Bason. "Then why don't you wake up?"

Ren sighed. "It's complicated, Bason."

"I will try to understand," Bason said. "Please, bocchama. Miss Jun is getting very worried, and I am told that you only have a few more hours before you lose any chance at recovery."

For a long moment Ren did not reply, simply staring at the soft, dark grass beneath his feet, letting the wind play with his hair, watching the cherry blossoms land on the soft ground. At long last, though, he shifted and turned to his guardian ghost, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and trembled slightly. "I said I would protect him," he whispered.

* * *

"Excuse me." Usui Pilika and Usui Horokeu both looked up at the voice as Tao Jun stepped slowly into the room, tall, straight, face emotionless. She turned to the younger Ainu. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with Horohoro in private for a moment, please."

Pilika frowned. "Anything you have to say to Oniichan, you can say to me," she said.

"It's about Ren," Jun said in the same even tone.

Instantly Horohoro turned to his sister. "I think you'd better go," he said.

Pilika blinked. "But Oniichan—"

"No." Horohoro shook his head. "Please, Pilika. You can't be here. I'm sorry."

His sister sighed. "Can I come back later?"

"Sure." The younger Ainu slowly backed away from the hospital bed, brushing past Jun on her way out of the small room.

As soon as she had gone, Horohoro turned to the Chinese daoshi. "How is Ren?" he asked. "Is he still—"

"In a coma? Yes."

Horohoro frowned when he saw Jun press a hand to the wall; she seemed to be having trouble keeping herself up on her two feet. "Jun, are you okay?"

She waved him off impatiently. "Fine, fine," she said, before coughing slightly. "And you?"

"I…" Horohoro sighed, looking back out at the window again where the sunlight was beginning to fade. "I'll feel a lot better when Ren wakes up."

"He won't, Horohoro."

The Ainu turned, glaring. "Don't you dare tell me—"

"I am certain now," Jun interrupted. "He doesn't want to come back."

"No." Horohoro's shoulders shook. "No, he can't do this. I need him, Jun! He can't abandon me!"

The daoshi's eyes slowly narrowed. "Horo, it is because of you that he doesn't awaken."

The Ainu froze. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Bason spoke with him a few minutes ago," Jun said. "Ren told you that he would protect you. He allowed you to put your faith in him, but ultimately he failed to keep his promise. That demon still…got to you."

"What are you saying?" Horohoro demanded. "That Ren's giving up on me?"

"No," Jun said, shaking her head slowly. "Ren promised to protect you, but couldn't. He is ashamed, and now…he doesn't want to face you again."

When at last Usui Pilika returned to Horohoro's room, she could not understand why her brother could not stop crying.


	6. VI

**A/N: **FLUFF. SAP. Whatever you want to call it, this chapter is full of it. I did say soap opera, didn't I? But man, this chapter is so cliché it almost disgusts me…  
For **Hope Usui**, my visual image of Krast: he is entirely human in appearance, probably Caucasian with skin darkened from the fires of Hell, a good head or two taller than Horohoro, red eyes, unruly fangs that splay awkwardly out of his mouth but covered by his lips, and claws that can extend up to five inches. Actually some of my other demons have thin tails, but not this one. If you want a better description, I suggest you read the description of Enlei in "Before Sunrise."

Okay. Time to bring on the sap…

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER VI**

Night had fallen. Not that Horohoro wanted it to. He sat slowly up on the hospital bed, trying to ignore the sharp protesting pain in his lower regions, and peered carefully across the room to where his little sister was currently asleep with her head on the nearby table. Her left arm was draped down over the edge of the table, and looking closely Horohoro could barely distinguish the time on her watch.

It was twenty minutes to midnight.

He gritted his teeth. Fine, Ren could go ahead and die for all he cared. He was nothing but a selfish bastard anyway; he had proved that when he had decided to leave Horohoro all alone, after having nearly…died to…save him…

"Shit," Horohoro whispered when he felt his eyes beginning to burn once again. "No, no…" But already his tears were striking the clean sheets beneath him, and he buried his face in his hands and began to sob without making a sound. Ren could not die—not now, when Horohoro needed him the most. No, Horohoro thought to himself as he slowly shook his head, swiping stubbornly at his tears. If Ren died, he might as well be pulling Horohoro down with him. He needed the Chinese that badly.

Horohoro blinked. Since when had he become so dependent on the Tao, anyway? Back in the days of the shaman tournament, he and Ren had fought like devils—both fists and spirits had been used. He remembered clearly how he used to always boil with rage whenever he even heard mention of Ren's name. But then…things had happened, people had changed. Gradually their arguments became less and less serious and more and more a way to pass the time. They had a few decent, low-voiced conversations, after which a few smiles were achieved, and then some encouragements and compliments. And then Horohoro had finally realized that they were friends when Ren had without hesitation risked his life to save him near the end of the tournament.

Just as he had done now.

Horohoro sighed, turning to look out the window at the moonless night. Even after the shaman fights, he and Ren had somehow managed to grow even closer, despite both of their disappointment at not having achieved the title of Shaman King. Perhaps, Horohoro reflected, they had even bonded over that—how ironic, he thought with a slight smile, being able to gain something so great from such an equally great loss.

His gaze shifted briefly to the empty hallway, then to Pilika, and then back to the window. The shaman tournament had ended nearly two years ago, but that had done nothing to weaken the ties between the two shaman. In fact, Horohoro and Ren were the only two of the group who still stayed at Funbari Inn along with Yoh and Anna; Jun and Pilika were merely over visiting. Ren claimed he stayed because it was too stressful back in China, while Horohoro said that the local Ainu women were stalking him in Hokkaido, yet both shaman knew there was a deeper reason. Yoh, of course, being the laidback personality that he was, did not give the matter a second thought, and Anna made no objection as long as both tenants tended to their chores and did not argue with her.

Horohoro remembered easily how only a couple of months ago, Ren had returned to China to run the Tao clan temporarily while Tao En recovered from a virus. He had barely been gone two weeks, yet Horohoro had started missing him sorely from the first day. He wasn't quite sure what about Ren he could not get by without—perhaps it was his cocky attitude, his sneering voice, his cold eyes, or maybe all three. The Ainu found it ironic that he could be so attached to the qualities that other people would find revolting. It was part of what made Ren so…attractive.

Wait. Did he just say attractive?

Horohoro slowly shook his head. Now this was just getting stupid. He didn't find Ren attractive. He wasn't fascinated by the Tao's deep golden eyes or his delicate lips. He didn't find himself daydreaming about Ren in his spare time. He wasn't in love with Ren.

He wasn't. Really.

Horohoro frowned. _Hell of a time for a revelation._ He shook his head again. He couldn't love Ren…could he? He sighed, sifting through his memories, remembering all the times when he had found himself feeling…_something_…for the Tao, something more than friendship, something deeper, with more meaning…

Pilika shifted slightly in her sleep, causing Horohoro to jump in surprise. As she turned her body and got into a more comfortable position, her arm lifted a bit so that the dim light from the hallway shone directly on her watch.

Fifteen minutes to midnight.

Before Horohoro was even fully aware of it, he had pushed his blankets aside. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he had to pause for a moment to breathe deeply and allow the pain to subside enough for him to step carefully off of the bed. The polished tile floor was comfortably cool beneath his bare feet, and he slowly pushed himself off of the bed, steadying himself with one hand on the bedstand so that he was facing the wall.

Turning slowly to his left, he took a small step forward—instantly agony tore through his nerves and he nearly fell, gasping for breath, feeling the tears rush to his eyes. It burned…almost like the time when, as a young child back in his village in Hokkaido, he had stumbled and fallen halfway into the fireplace, setting his clothes on fire. His father had heard his screams and had rushed to him, picking him up and throwing him rather roughly into the snow outside. He still had some scars from that experience.

Gritting his teeth, he took another step forward, and through the resulting pain he felt a slight tug on his arm. He pulled impatiently and heard a soft _creak_; turning, his eyes widened when he saw the IV stand tilting dangerously toward him. Quickly he reached out and grabbed it, steadying the thin metal before it could crash to the floor and give him away completely. The doctors had come in a few hours before and had disconnected all of the monitors and machines save for the IV, and Horohoro was thankful for this as he reached down and slowly pulled the needle from his arm, dropping it carelessly onto the bed. Turning to make sure the IV was still steady, he then took another step toward the door, wincing and biting back the urge to cry out as the agony surged up his spine. He could not make a sound, he thought as he turned to see Pilika still sleeping.

He turned back to the door—and started and nearly fell when Kororo suddenly flew into his field of vision, chirping frantically, obviously confused by his actions. Hearing Pilika give a soft groan behind him, Horohoro quickly lifted a hand, swatting at Kororo, knowing that he could not harm the Koropokkur. His message got through, though, and Kororo instantly went silent. Horohoro turned back to his sister, but she had not moved. He then spoke in a whisper to his guardian ghost. "Kororo, do you know where Ren's room is?"

Kororo blinked at him, confusion written in her large eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but the Ainu cut her off. "No," he said, wincing as he spoke. "Don't ask me anything. Just nod or shake your head."

The Koropokkur seemed about to protest, but at long last she gave a sigh of defeat and slowly nodded her head. Horohoro smiled despite the pain. "Could you take me there?" he asked. Kororo frowned and chirped again, softly this time, and though Horohoro could not understand her exact words, he knew what she was trying to say. "I'm feeling all right, Kororo," he said. "Just…I need to see him. Please, lead the way."

Kororo frowned, shaking her head almost to show that she thought this was a bad idea, but nevertheless she flew over to the doorway, turning and waiting for her human partner to drag himself slowly after her. As he made his way out of the hospital room and tailed his spirit ally down the empty hallway, Horohoro had to fight to keep himself from screaming at the pain. At times it felt as if his very soul was being ripped apart, yet he gritted his teeth and held on, feeling the sweat creep down the sides of his face, mixing with his tears.

He was on the verge of fainting by the time he finally stumbled into the small room, his entire body shaking, dark spots gathering before his eyes. He heard someone give a soft cry of surprise as he entered, and he tried to lift his head to see who it was but at that moment his feet gave out beneath him and he fell forward. He never hit the ground, though, for that same someone rushed forward with the click of hard heels and caught him, breaking his fall and steadying him.

"Horo? Wh-What're you doing here?"

Horohoro lifted his head, forcing the dark spots aside and blinking at the two violet eyes that now peered worriedly down at him. "J-Jun?" He could immediately tell that the daoshi was in bad shape; there were dark circles under her eyes and shallow stains on her cheeks from the endless tears she had shed.

"You shouldn't be here," Jun whispered, her voice trembling. "It's…almost time…you have to go."

She tried to guide him back toward the door but he resisted. "No," he said, his voice surprisingly strong. "I'm not leaving until Ren wakes up."

Jun frowned. "Horo, he's not—"

"Yes, he is." She could only gape at his words, but Horohoro shook his head. "I'm going to make that little son of a bitch come back if it's the last thing I do." As he said this, he glanced over at the hospital bed and instantly a lump formed in his throat. Ren was as pale as a ghost and, surrounded by the thick white sheets as he was, he had never looked so…fragile.

Turning back to the daoshi, he coughed and said in a low voice, "But…Jun, I need to be alone with him for a while for…for this to work."

Jun, to her credit, asked no questions though her eyes flickered with uncertainty. "I…well, all right." She felt a bit uneasy about leaving her brother at such a critical moment, but the determined look in the Ainu's eyes persuaded her.

"Th-Thanks," Horohoro said, taking a breath and suppressing his agony.

Jun turned a bit hesitantly from him and walked slowly toward the door, beckoning Bason who reluctantly left his spot hovering beside his master. Horohoro was left alone in the dark room. For a moment he only stood where he was, quietly watching the slow rise and fall of Ren's chest beneath the thin hospital sheets. At long last, though, knowing time was of the essence he took one painful step forward, then another, until finally he was standing by Ren's bedside, leaning heavily on the bedstand.

When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Ren?" He was not surprised that he got no response and, leaning closer, he slowly reached under the bedsheets and clasped one cold hand. "Ren," he said, his voice stronger.

Still the young Tao did not move. Horohoro sighed. "Ren, I know you can hear me. I also know why you're not waking up, and now I've got something to say to you. You are one selfish fucking bastard, you hear that?"

_(i hear something)_

Horohoro looked up and saw a small clock standing on the table beside the bed. Apparently Jun had brought it in and, judging from the cracked glass face, she had not liked what it was telling her. The Ainu turned back to Ren. "You've got ten minutes, Ren, so listen up," he said.

_(thats weird who is that sounds familiar)_

Horohoro took a deep breath. "Look, I know you feel bad about what happened," he said. "Not that you shouldn't. But…" He looked back up at the clock, and seeing the minute hand move, he felt a lump form in the back of his throat. "Ren, you can't leave me," he whispered.

_(wait a minute that's)_

"I…I need you to get me through this, okay? Please, you can't go."

_ (horohoro ? What're you doing?)_

The Ainu was so focused on Ren that he did not notice several of the previously sleeping instruments slowly coming to life. "Ren," he said, reaching forward with his other arm and gathering the young Tao to him, bringing him close. "Don't go, Ren. Please. I need you. And…" He took a deep breath. "You know, don't you?"

(He's hugging me. Damnit, Horohoro, why…?)

"Come back, Ren. Please…"

(Horohoro…)

One of the nearby instruments suddenly began a violent beeping, causing Horohoro to look up. Frowning at the shifting numbers, he turned back, looking down at Ren—and was thoroughly startled to see two bright golden eyes looking right back up at him.

He blinked, and it took a moment before he found his voice. "R-Ren?"

For a moment Ren only looked at him, but then his face suddenly broke into a smile. "You're such an idiot," he whispered.

Horohoro laughed at this, not particularly caring that tears of relief were streaming down his face as he hugged Ren gently, feeling the Chinese shaman's arms wrap him in a warm, protective embrace. "Thank you…"


	7. VII

**A/N: **Sorry, is this update late? I completely forgot. It's weird; I browse FFN actively every day, yet I forget to update my own stories…

Oh, and before I move on to anything else, I have to say first of all that I HAVE FINALLY HIT THE GODDAMN CEILING because so many people keep spelling "summary" wrong. If you're one of these people, could you _please_ change the e to an a? It nearly drove me crazy today!

Okay, sorry but I just had to get that off my chest. Not much to say about this chapter, other than it's just some HoroRen fluff (MeeLee was in an excessively fluffy mood when she wrote this story…). Don't worry though; the action and angst pick up again in the next chapter, I promise.

I estimate about three more chapters to this story after this one. Keep reviewing! I love you all so much!

School's starting on Wednesday; expect slower updates…

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER VII**

"I hate this hospital food," Usui Horokeu grumbled as he picked at the flavorless scrambled eggs with his fork. "Haven't they ever heard of grease?"

Lying on the bed next to the Ainu's own, Tao Ren slowly rose to a sitting position, wincing at the pain that bit down from the bandaged wound across his chest. "In case you haven't noticed," he said, breaking his chopsticks, "grease isn't the healthiest thing in the world, especially to give to hospital patients."

Horohoro rolled his eyes. "Yeah? Then why do you get oily Chinese takeout and I don't?"

Ren threw a chopstick at him, barely missing his head. "I'm Chinese. What else would I eat, baka?"

Horohoro stuck out his lower lip, pouting. "You're only eating that 'cause Jun brought it for you," he said.

"Yeah, well, my sister's used to waiting on me," Ren said, cocking his head. "Your sister's a spoiled brat."

Instantly he ducked, narrowly avoiding the fork Horohoro had hurtled in his direction. "Don't insult my sister! She's way better than yours!"

"Yeah?" Ren retorted, retaliating with his second chopstick. "And just what about Pilika beats Jun, huh?"

"She's cuter!"

Silence.

For a long moment, Ren and Horohoro simply stared at each other. Then all of a sudden they both burst into laughter, giggling so hard that the beds shook beneath them. "What…the hell…kind of comeback…was that?" Ren managed between breaths, trying to steady himself because his wound was protesting.

"Shut up! You gave me short notice!" Horohoro retorted, trying and failing to look annoyed.

Ren slowly shook his head, taking deep breaths and calming himself. "Damnit, I almost reopened my wound thanks to you," he snapped.

Horohoro coughed, wincing. "You think I'm any better off?"

The Chinese just rolled his eyes. "Now how are we supposed to eat? We just threw all our utensils at each other."

"With our hands," Horohoro said.

Ren cocked an eyebrow. "I'd prefer something more civilized," he said.

"Well," the Ainu answered, "It's better than shoving your head into the bowl, right?"

Ren set his food down onto the table next to him. "Thanks. I just lost my appetite."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't matter much. You probably skip breakfast every day, you're so thin."

"I happen to get all of my recommended servings from all of the food groups every day, thank you very much!"

"Yeah, and most of it comes from the dairy group?"

Floating quietly in one corner of the large room, Bason sighed softly to himself as the two shaman began yet another playful argument. A week had passed since Ren had awakened from his coma, and before long by special request the two shaman had been moved to a larger room that they could share. From here, it seemed that their relationship had strengthened considerably. Of course, neither of them cared to touch on what had really driven Horohoro to plead with Ren in his room that night, yet both knew the real reason, and both acknowledged that there existed between them now something more than friendship. Despite this, however, no words were spoken, no moves were made; both were too shy to come straight out with the subject.

Of course, this did not mean that one did not catch the other staring, and flirting was relatively common, especially with Horohoro's playful nature. Bason smiled softly to himself; before long, those three small words would have to come out.

Unbeknownst to the ghost, however, that level of intimacy had already been achieved. Three nights ago, when Bason and Kororo had been out accompanying Jun and Pilika, respectively, Horohoro had turned to Ren and whispered in the darkness of the night, "You know I love you, right?"

Ren had taken a moment to reply, but at last had nodded and said, "Yes." And that had been the end of it. No more words were needed.

When at last the doctor walked into the room, he was thoroughly startled at the sight that greeted him: both patients giggling and doubled over in pain at the same time, the entire room littered with bits of food. Instantly he frowned, tapping his clipboard. "A little more reserve next time please, boys?" he said with a sigh.

The patient named Tao Ren only shrugged. "It's not like we were gonna eat it anyway," he said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Now look here, Ren," the doctor said, raising a warning finger, "The food we serve here is absolutely essential to your recovery—"

"Or our demise," the Ainu called Horohoro said, and he and Ren both started laughing again.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "You two really are a case," he said.

Ren shrugged again. "We'll clean it up, if that's what you're worried about," he said, and then stretched. "So how long till we get out of here?"

The doctor tapped his clipboard again. "Give it another couple of weeks, give or take a few days," he said. "Can't have you straining your injuries, after all."

Horohoro winked. "Can you stand us for another couple of weeks, Doctor-san?" he asked.

"Hm," the doctor said, and then he smiled. "No, I don't think so," he said, and they all laughed. "A nurse'll be around to check on you in about an hour," he said, ducking out of the room, leaving the two boys to themselves.

As soon as he had gone, Ren and Horohoro turned to each other. Before long, a smirk found its way onto Horohoro's face. "I've still got cookies from yesterday," he said. "I've tried them. They throw pretty far, so you'd better be careful!"

* * *

Tao Ren gritted his teeth, biting back his scream as he pulled the bandages more tightly about his chest. Seated in the double-bed room in Funbari Inn, he slowly reached forward to the dresser beside him, wincing as he picked up the pair of scissors and finally snipped off the end of the bandage, tying it down and checking the bindings. He sighed with relief when he had finished; changing bandages was perhaps the worst part of his everyday routine. It had been relatively painless when the nurses had done it back in the hospital, but that had been a week ago. Now he and Horohoro were on their own. Even Jun and Pilika had returned to China and Hokkaido, respectively.

Picking up the roll of bandage, he walked slowly over to the closed bathroom door and knocked. "Your turn," he said.

The door opened just a crack and the roll was snatched away. "Thanks," came Horohoro's voice.

Ren rolled his eyes. "Honestly, you can do it out here if you want," he said. "We're all guys here."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Horohoro said, his voice muffled by the bathroom door.

Ren sighed. Ever since they had been discharged from the hospital, returned to Funbari and had started rooming together, the Ainu always changed his bandages in the bathroom, away from prying eyes. Ren's eyes weren't prying though, couldn't Horohoro see that? He thought they had come to understand each other a little better.

The truth was, of course, that they had. Still no words were said, and neither of them bothered with much more than an occasional brush of a shoulder or touch of a hand, but they knew that they had left mere friendship behind a long time ago. Ren was comfortable with this, though. The Taos had never been very touchy-feely people, after all.

His thoughts were interrupted when the bathroom door opened and Usui Horokeu stepped out, wincing a bit as he walked, dressed in a dark blue T-shirt and a pair of grey sweats. Ren sighed inwardly. Though the Ainu still laughed and pretended as if nothing had changed, the truth was that everything had changed since the…incident, and it was most evident in the fact that he slept now fully clothed instead of just in an undershirt and a pair of boxers, which Ren used to tease him about.

To keep himself from going down an uncomfortable avenue of thought, he turned to his friend. "Took long enough," he remarked.

Horohoro shrugged. "You know you take just as long," he said.

"True." Ren was too tired to argue tonight, and so he simply took the roll of bandages from Horohoro, tossed it into the first aid kit, and walked over to his bed, throwing aside the covers and sliding slowly in, being careful not to put too much pressure on his chest. The wound was healing well but was still tender, and if he strained it, it tended to start bleeding again. Ren sighed. When this was all over, he knew, he would end up with a huge cross on his chest, the vertical one from the shaman tournament, and the horizontal one from Krast and his five-inch long claws.

"Turn off the lights," he said to Horohoro, closing his eyes and relaxing. A moment later he sensed the light before his closed lids fading away, and heard a creak and some shuffling noises as Horohoro got into his own bed on the other side of the room.

"Goodnight, Ren," Horohoro said, his voice rather loud in the bedroom.

"Night," Ren answered, snuggling deeper into the sheets.

Another long moment passed.

"Hey, Ren?"

"What?"

"Oh, you're awake?"

"No, I just happen to be able to hold intelligent conversation in my sleep."

"Really?"

"…Idiot."

Another pause. Then: "Ren."

A sigh. "What?"

"I'm cold."

"You're a goddamn Ainu, Horo. You're not allowed to be cold."

"But I am."

"And what am I supposed to do about it?"

"…Could you come over here?"

A pause. "N-No."

"Please?"

"I said _no!_"

In a whining voice: "Rennn…"

"Damnit, Horo, I am not sleeping with you!"

Silence.

"…I didn't mean it that way, Ren."

"Shut up!" This said with an extremely red face. "Just go to sleep and quit bothering me."

No answer. Ren sighed softly, turning away from Horohoro's direction and letting his head sink back onto his pillow, feeling the heat begin to recede from his face. Stupid Ainu…

He heard some rustling and another soft creak but decided to ignore it. He had just closed his eyes when all of a sudden his bed shook as another weight was added, and he felt someone's arm snake around his waist. Instantly he spun, blushing bright red. "H-Horo!"

"What?" the Ainu answered, blinking innocently up at Ren. "Best way to preserve body heat, right?"

"Get out of here!"

Horohoro pouted. "Ren, I'm just being affectionate…"

"No, you—you're invading my personal space!" Ren spluttered. "Now get out or I'll throw you out!"

At this, the Ainu frowned, looking genuinely hurt; Ren could easily see it in the darkness. "Ren, I…I just want to be near you, that's all."

The Tao sighed. "Horo, listen…"

"No," Horohoro mumbled, snuggling into Ren's chest and closing his eyes. "Just let me. Please?"

His voice was honest, and Ren sighed again. "Fine, fine," he muttered, slowly slipping his arms around Horohoro. "Just…don't drool, okay?"

"Mm." If Horohoro made a more coherent reply, it was muffled by Ren's shirt. The young Tao rolled his eyes, feeling the blood rush to his face once again when he looked down at the Ainu. With his eyes he could clearly see every single dip and line of Horohoro's face, and he was fascinated by the ice shaman's delicate features. Sighing again softly to himself, he reached up, lightly brushing the Ainu's hair out of his face before bringing him closer, closing his eyes.

He was just on the verge of falling asleep when Horohoro's voice came to him once again.

"Ren?"

"Hm."

A pause. "I…I love you."

Two golden eyes opened in the dark. "I know."

Another pause. "Ren."

"What?"

"You…never said you loved me back."

Ren blinked. "Horo…" He could clearly see the Ainu looking up at him in the darkness, black eyes shining. After a moment, he sighed, reached down, cupped the Ainu's face and gently brushed his lips with his own. "There," he said. "I love you, Horohoro. Better?"

He saw Horohoro blush before eventually the ice shaman smiled timidly, resting his head in the crook of Ren's neck. "Thanks," he said.

"Go to sleep," Ren mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes. There was no answer from Horohoro, and before long both shaman had entered their realm of dreams. And from only a short distance away, he watched them, and seethed with rage.


	8. VIII

**A/N: **My sincere apologies for not updating in a month. As mentioned in the previous chapter, school started and I am now drowning in work, so my updates are all slowing down. Good news though: there is only one chapter left of this story to post, so at least you won't have to wait that long.

As promised, a return to angst in this chapter. Little fluffy in the beginning, but I get back into my old style in the end. Advance warning for the last chapter though: fluff like you won't believe. Sometimes I wonder why I even bothered to write this fic…

As always, please review! I appreciate all your feedback!

**_LULLABY: _CHAPTER VIII**

Usui Horokeu had just finished brushing his teeth when he heard it.

"Aw, _shit!_" came Ren's voice, twisted with pain. Instantly Horohoro turned, throwing open the bathroom door and running quickly over to where Ren had fallen to the floor, clutching his stomach. His kwan dao lay discarded a few feet away.

"Ren!" Horohoro bit his lip when he saw blood dripping on the floor. "You okay?" He placed a hand on the other shaman's shoulder, but Ren waved him off.

"I got it, I got it," he said, gritting his teeth as he raised himself to a sitting position, hand pressed to his wound.

Horohoro shook his head when he saw Ren's black shirt darkening in color. Turning, he walked quickly over to the dresser and pulled out the first aid kit. "I already told you this was a bad idea," he said, helping Ren take his shirt off.

"It was just a goddamn warmup routine," Ren snapped, grabbing the cotton wad Horohoro offered him from the first aid kit and proceeding to dab lightly at the blood leaking from the massive cut across his chest. "Any five-year-old could manage it back home."

"Yeah, well, first of all, you're not back home," Horohoro said sternly, "And secondly, you've got a ten-inch gash across your stomach that's at least four inches deep. No sane person would train with a wound like that."

Ren cocked an eyebrow, reaching for the roll of bandages. "And you actually think I'm a sane person because…?"

Horohoro blinked before chuckling. "Point taken. Here, I'll help you." Ren gratefully let him bandage the wound and tighten the bindings, wincing slightly as he did so.

When the Ainu had finished, Ren sighed and on impulse reached up, giving Horohoro a quick peck on the lips. "Thanks."

Horohoro blushed. "Damn, if that's my reward, you can train all you want," he said.

Ren rolled his eyes. "Don't push your luck." Rising to his feet, he made his way to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Horohoro laughed, putting away the first aid kit before getting into bed. A few moments later, the lights in the room flickered off and he heard Ren's footsteps approaching the bed before the Tao slid lightly in beside him. Horohoro sighed contentedly, curling into his partner and wrapping one arm comfortably around Ren's waist. Three days had passed since they had first started sharing beds, and already they had moved to a neighboring room with only one bed and a larger bathroom. For this they got odd looks from both Yoh and Anna, but neither shaman nor itako bothered to question them about it. This night, both Yoh and Anna had gone out to visit some friends, and so Horohoro and Ren had the inn to themselves.

Ren let out a breath, relaxing himself and feeling the pain in his chest dull a bit as he breathed in the clean scent of Horohoro's hair. He felt so at peace here, sleeping contentedly beside his…well, he didn't exactly want to call Horohoro his boyfriend. That term was a bit too delicate for his Tao mindset. So what exactly was he supposed to call Horohoro?

_"Hey guys, I'd like you to meet my Ainu-baka, Horohoro…"_

Ren's snort of laughter caused Horohoro to open his eyes, blinking up at the Chinese in the darkness. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing," Ren said. "Go back to sleep." He closed his eyes, hoping the Ainu would not ask any more questions. Fortunately Horohoro conceded, and Ren listened quietly as his breathing slowly evened out as he fell asleep. Sighing softly, he relaxed himself, clearing his mind and snuggling closer to the Ainu, feeling himself growing slowly lighter and lighter as he approached the realm of sleep.

Then he heard it.

It was barely a soft creak, no louder than a fly scratching on the wall, but his senses, sharpened by years of training, picked up the footstep easily. They were not alone in the room.

Another footstep sounded, as soft as the first, but Ren heard it as well. He did not stir, allowing his eyes to remain closed and relying instead on his ears to pinpoint the origin of the noise. His vision behind his closed lids darkened a bit and he immediately knew that the intruder was standing over the bed, blocking out the moonlight streaming in through the open window. Listening carefully, he heard a single low, hissing breath, and immediately knew who it was.

Concealed by the blanket, Ren slowly slipped his hand up underneath his pillow, wrapping his fingers firmly around the handle of the small dagger he always kept concealed there for emergencies. He could now feel a slight shifting of the air above his face as the intruder bent over him, and cocking his ears he easily heard a soft scratching noise as familiar five-inch-long claws were extended.

_One…_Ren counted in his mind as he felt the air around him heat up a bit as the intruder bent even closer. _Two…_

He shot straight up, dagger at the ready, and not a moment too soon—his well-aimed blade just barely parried Krast's claws. The demon gave a low snarl of frustration before Ren pushed forward with all his might, sending Krast falling backward. Instantly the Tao sprang to his feet, dagger discarded, replaced by his kwan dao. Glancing quickly over his shoulder while at the same time keeping an eye on the demon rising slowly to his feet, Ren saw that Horohoro had not been disturbed by the scuffle; the Ainu was still curled up beneath the sheets, sound asleep.

Turning back, he saw Krast glaring at him, red eyes glinting. "Looks like it's just you and me," the demon said.

"Looks like it," Ren answered, slowly bringing his kwan dao up into a defensive position.

Krast growled, raising both of his hands so that the Tao could clearly see his long claws gleaming in the moonlight. "You won't escape me this time," he said. "I want Horohoro, and I always get what I want."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Ren hissed, lunging forward and bringing his kwan dao down upon Krast. The demon quickly leaped out of the way before counterattacking, striking at Ren continuously with his claws so that the contact between thick nails and polished blade created sparks in the air. This deadly dance went on for about ten minutes, and Krast's eyes gleamed victoriously when he saw Ren's movements slowing down as the Tao grew weary. Sweat was forming on his forehead, and blood was beginning to soak into his shirt as his barely-bandaged wound began to protest under the strain. Still Ren gritted his teeth, refusing to give in to the pain that was now ravaging his nerves, but then he made his fatal mistake.

Krast lunged to the side, sweeping his left hand out, claws extended. Quickly Ren moved to block, but in the process left his left side open. He heard Krast's victorious hiss as he leaped out of the feint and struck out with his right hand, claws sinking into Ren's stomach.

For a moment both warriors froze as if time itself had been suspended, but then suddenly the Tao gave a small, unintelligible croak and a single thin trail of blood made its way slowly down from the corner of his mouth. His kwan dao slid to the floor, and Krast grinned, gripping Ren by the shoulder and dragging his right hand slowly to the side, gutting his opponent. Ren gave a gasp of pain, choking on the blood that was now clogging his throat, and when the demon finally lifted the young Tao and threw him across the room so that he crumpled against the wall, he had no breath left to cry out.

Ren heard the impact of his body against the wall from far away, as if his spirit was only observing the whole thing. Sinking to the floor, he gritted his teeth, trying to breathe through the sticky blood now filling his lungs. Very slowly, he managed to force his eyes open, and saw through rapidly dimming vision Krast approaching the bed. He saw the demon reach down and heard Horohoro's groan as he was jolted fully awake before the Ainu screamed and began struggling, writhing beneath the sheets.

Ren opened his mouth, trying to call out to Horohoro, but his voice was gone. He tried to rise, but his limbs refused to move; it was as if a huge weight was pinning him down, and he did not have to look to know that he was now resting in a pool of his own blood. Lifting his head, he gritted his teeth, screaming silently as he struggled to move, and all of a sudden he felt a strange heat welling up in his eyes. He was _not_ going to let Horohoro get hurt again. He had promised to protect the Ainu, and he was not going to break that pledge!

The heat in his eyes had now spread to his entire head, fire pounding in his skull, but he chose to ignore it as he struggled against the weight holding him down, struggled to rise up and fight.

_I will _not_ let—!_

And then the heat overwhelmed him, and everything suddenly went red.

* * *

Horohoro was brought out of the nothingness of sleep by a hollow boom in the distance. For a moment he found himself frozen in the condition between sleep and wakefulness, utterly confused as to how he had gotten there, but then suddenly something grabbed him and he came fully awake, opening his eyes—and found himself staring into two very frightening and very familiar red eyes.

Instantly his body turned cold as if he had been frozen over and he screamed, struggling to rise, to run, to do _anything_ to get away from the terror that was now before him, but Krast only reached down, gripping him by the arms and forcing him back onto the bed, licking his lips greedily. Horohoro cried out, his breath coming in short, high gasps as Krast bent closer.

"Ren!" the Ainu cried, unable to focus on anything except the monster that had hurt him. "Ren, help me!" The terror had completely taken over his mind, blocking out all coherent thought so that he paid no heed to Kororo chirping in his ear, or to his ikapsui lying on the nightstand, or to his snowboard propped up against the wall. The only thing he could think of was a repeat of the nightmare he was just barely recovering from.

"Your lover is dead," Krast said with a smile. "Fought bravely, but in the end, he was still only human."

"No," Horohoro cried, tears of terror forming in his eyes. "Ren! _Ren!_"

"Now it's just me, my beautiful Horohoro," Krast said, bending closer so that his hot breath blasted in the Ainu's face. "You've escaped me for the last time. Now you will be mine forever."

"_No!_" Horohoro shrieked as Krast threw the blanket aside, straddling the Ainu. "No, please!"

And then they both heard it: a low, hissing snarl. Krast frowned and turned, and Horohoro, following his gaze, saw a dark figure slowly rising from the ground. Though the moonlight in the room was bright, the figure was in the shadowed corner of the room and so he could see nothing more than a pair of gleaming golden eyes, pupils narrowed to mere pinpoints in an amber ocean. The low hiss came again, and confusion added itself to Horohoro's terror. The voice sounded almost like Ren's…

The figure suddenly leaped up off of the ground with a furious cry that sounded almost like a dog's bark. Krast gave a snarl of surprise and pain as the creature tackled him, and even as the demon fell backward off of the bed, Horohoro barely glimpsed an image of long claw-like nails sinking into Krast's skin, slitted golden eyes and sharp fangs set in a familiar face.

_Ren…?_

Then the Ainu's head hit the headboard and he sank into blackness once again.

**Parting words: Don't bother complaining to me about Horohoro appearing weak in this chapter. The whole point was to drive home the fact that, when you're terrified, you can't focus on anything but what is causing you fear. It's a truth we all have to face.**


	9. Finale

**A/N: **And so L draws to a close. There's enough fluff in this chapter to almost make me throw my computer out the window…but I didn't since it seems like you guys were anticipating the ending. Don't expect more fluff from me anytime soon though; I've had my sap overdose with this fic.

I'll leave it up to you to interpret the ending…

BTW, the actual lullaby used in this chapter was originally written by yours truly, so no copying.

HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed this story; I never expected to get so many reviews! Really, you readers are what keeps us writers going, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

A recent Naruto craze has distracted me from my SK fics, so I'm sorry to say that most fics pending publication are probably on hiatus. Updates to RM will faithfully continue though, I hope.

Once again, thanks! And congratulations to **Hikata**. Enjoy this chapter, minus the endless fluff, of course. _–MeeLee_

_PS:_ To fellow Inuyasha fans…I'd never considered Ren's demonic form as like a youkai. Though now that you think about it, it makes sense. BTW, Sesshoumaru is hot. _–cough-_

**_LULLABY:_ FINALE**

Horohoro woke suddenly, shooting straight up in the bed and gasping for breath. For an instant he could not remember where he was before suddenly it all came back to him, and peering carefully over the bedside he was thoroughly startled to see two red eyes glaring back up at him. Instantly he gave a frightened cry, scrambling backward, expecting Krast at any moment to rise and pick up where he had left off.

Nothing happened. Steadying his breathing, Horohoro slowly approached the side of the bed again, and holding his breath as he peered down at those two red eyes, he saw that they were blank and staring at nothing. Was Krast dead?

Quickly the Ainu sprang off of the bed, darting across the room and flicking the lights on. There, lying on the ground next to the bed, lay the demon, eyes open and staring up at the ceiling. Horohoro felt his stomach do a somersault when he saw the blood still flowing out of the wound in the demon's neck where his throat had apparently been torn open.

Taking a cautious step forward, Horohoro gasped in surprise when he felt his foot sink into something wet. Hurriedly taking a step back, he stared down in awe at the pool of blood that lay at his feet. For a brief moment he was confused; Krast was on the other side of the room, so how did his blood end up here?

Unless…

"Ren?" Horohoro's voice echoed eerily in the empty room. "Ren, where are you?"

There was no answer. Walking over to the bathroom, Horohoro threw the door open. "Ren!" But the room was empty. Ren was gone.

The Ainu stepped back into the bedroom, averting his eyes from the corpse beside the bed, feeling his mind spinning with confusion. If Ren had been the victor in the fight, why wasn't he here?

A flash of red at the very corner of his eye caught his attention, and turning, Horohoro frowned when he saw the thick smear of blood on the floor. Blinking, he looked further and saw another, and then another, leading up to the door, which was slightly ajar.

Instantly he was out of the room and standing in the hallway, staring in horror at the blood trail that now led down the empty hall, winding down the stairs before snaking out of the inn onto the cold sidewalk outside. As he followed the dark patches down the street, Horohoro broke into a run, breathing hard, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. Where was Ren going?

The trail suddenly ended, and Horohoro found himself looking up at a small house. He remembered it well, firstly because he sometimes helped the lady who lived here with her groceries, and secondly because it was the only house on the street with a front porch. But Ren had never even spoken with this lady before; why in the world would he go here?

Leaping up the steps, Horohoro reached up and rang the bell without hesitation. A few moments later, there came the shuffling of footsteps before the lock slid apart and the Ainu found himself staring at an old Japanese lady. She blinked upon seeing him, adjusting her glasses before her eyes lit with recognition and she smiled.

"Oh, Horohoro," she said, "How nice of you to drop by. But why are you here so late?" She glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's almost two in the morning."

Quickly Horohoro bowed. "I'm sorry to bother you, Hishida-san," he said, "But I was wondering if I could see Ren."

Mrs. Hishida blinked. "Ren…?"

"Yes." Horohoro felt himself grow cold when he saw Mrs. Hishida frown. "Tao Ren. He's my friend, do you remember? Chinese, golden eyes, purple hair, tongari?"

"Hm…" Suddenly Mrs. Hishida's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, _that_ boy!" she said with a smile, before pausing. "I thought he was staying with you?"

"W-Wait," Horohoro said. "You mean he didn't come by here?"

"Of course not," Mrs. Hishida said. "He's not a sweet boy like you. Why would he bother with an old lady like me?"

"But…" Horohoro swallowed, feeling the tears rush to his eyes. "He was…He was supposed to be…"

"Horohoro?" Mrs. Hishida frowned. "Are you all right? You're turning pale."

All of a sudden the Ainu was feeling incredibly cold. "I'm f-fine," he whispered, slowly backing up. "Perfectly fine. Th-Thank you, Hishida-san."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mrs. Hishida asked.

Horohoro nodded, biting back his tears, nearly stumbling over the front porch steps. "Y-Yes," he stammered. "You go on back to bed, Hishida-san. Thank you." The old lady frowned before finally closing her door. When he saw the lights of the house darken again, Horohoro allowed himself to sink to his knees, shivering. "Ren, where are you…?"

He looked back down at the ground again, at the blood trail that ran up to the front porch and stopped. This was as far as Ren had gone, so why wasn't he in the house?

Suddenly an image flashed in his mind: Ren attacking Krast, golden eyes wide, long fangs visible over his lips, claws extended. He had seemed more demon than human.

And then Ren's words came back to him. _There are the animal demons, such as cat demons, hawk demons, and…dog demons…_

Suddenly he remembered what Ren had told him that night out on the sidewalk, how the witch Emeng had given him a dog demon's eyes. Was it possible that…

Before he was even fully aware of it, he was crouched on the ground, peering underneath the front porch at the darkness beneath. "Ren!" he cried, his voice muffled in the small space. "Ren!"

Holding his breath, he barely heard the faintest of rustles, and peering even harder into the darkness, he strained to distinguish two golden eyes slowly fluttering open. Then a small voice came to him. "…Horo…?"

"Ren." Horohoro let a sigh of relief escape him, feeling the tears gathering in his eyes. "Thank heavens. Are you all right?"

It took a moment for the Tao to reply. "Why…are you here?" he asked, speaking slowly as if he had to gather the strength to utter each word.

"Looking for you, why else?" Horohoro answered. "I'm so glad you're okay. There was so much blood, I was getting worried—"

"Horo." He heard Ren sigh, and when he spoke again, his voice was even softer. "I'm not…feeling so good…"

"Don't worry," Horohoro said, "Just come out from there and I'll go get some help."

A pause. "I…I don't think…I can…"

The Ainu frowned. "What do you mean?" he cried. "Of course you can! Now come on!"

"Horo." There was a long pause. "I…can't move."

"What?" Suddenly a memory came to the Ainu, something his father had once told him when he was younger. _A peculiarity of dogs,_ his father had said, seated before the fire in their hut. _They're incredibly strong and noble creatures…until their time comes. Then they crawl under houses, away from everyone, to die alone. Dogs understand what humans do not: death is death. It doesn't matter who is there with you, because you are the one dying. Dogs know this, and so they hide away to die._

_To die…_

"Ren," Horohoro said, feeling his throat clogging up. "Ren, don't…"

He heard Ren sigh. "I'm dying, Horohoro."

"No!" Horohoro shook his head violently. "Don't say that! You're going to be fine!"

"Horo, just…go. Leave me. I'll be gone…in a few minutes."

"_No!_" Before he was even fully aware of it, the Ainu was scooting underneath the porch, coughing at the dirt and the dust. "No, Ren, damnit!" He finally reached Ren, seeing those two golden eyes blink groggily up at him in the darkness, and reaching over he wrapped his arms around Ren's small body. "Don't," he whispered, feeling the tears making their way slowly down his face. "Please…"

"I'm sorry, Horo," Ren said with a sigh. "I really am…"

"No." Horohoro hugged the Chinese closer. "You can't die. Not now."

"I've lost…too much blood, Horo…I can't…hold on…"

"You have to," the Ainu whispered. "You have to…please, Ren, don't go…"

"Horo…" Ren coughed, and something wet hit the floor. "I'm sorry, but I…can't see you…anymore…"

"No!" Horohoro struggled to contain his sobs but failed, burying his face in Ren's hair. "You can't, you _c-can't…_" He found Ren's cold hand in the darkness and squeezed it. "Please…"

When Ren spoke, his voice was barely a hoarse whisper. "I love you, Horo," he said. "Please…don't forget me…"

"Ren…" Horohoro swallowed hard. "Don't leave me, Ren." But the Tao did not answer, and slowly Horohoro gathered the body to him, feeling Ren's slow breaths on his neck. For a moment there was only silence, but then suddenly a voice floated up out of the darkness, small, choked, trembling.

_The sun that lit the afternoon_

_Has sunken, gone to sleep,_

_And now it is the silver moon_

_That whispers in your dreams._

Horohoro swallowed, wetting his lips. The words were coming to him naturally; he did not even have to think about them. A lullaby his mother used to sing to Pilika and himself, back in Hokkaido when they had been little. When everything had been good and beautiful.

_Go now to that starry land_

_Where green fields run forever._

_I'll be there, so take my hand_

_And here we'll be together._

Ren squeezed Horohoro's hand as his breathing quickened. The darkness closed in on him, but he was not afraid, for still the song came to him, and it gave him comfort.

_Smile and dance in the endless light._

_Let the wind caress your face._

_Spread your wings and then take flight_

_With arrow's speed and angel's grace._

_Don't look back now, I am here._

_Free your heart and we shall fly._

_I will protect you, do not fear,_

_And together we'll touch the sky._

Tao Ren closed his eyes, allowing the words to echo and surround him in warmth as he faded slowly away.

_Go now to that starry land_

_Where green fields run forever._

_I'll be there, so take my hand_

_And here we'll be together…_

Silence. And then a tiny whisper.

"Ren."

No answer.

"I love you."

And all was quiet once again.

* * *

The dawn was approaching when the ghosts of Funbari Hill were awakened by footsteps. Most of them paid no heed and continued sleeping, but a few peeked out of their graves and saw a single lone figure walking down the narrow path. He walked with a slow yet resolute step, his blue hair hanging in front of his face. The ghosts would have ignored him had it not been for two things: the tears that streamed endlessly down his cheeks, and the slim body he was carrying in his arms.

He walked through the cemetery without looking up, focused only on the ground in front of him. He passed through without a word, head bowed, and still the tears formed a staunchless river down his face. Upon reaching the edge of the cemetery, he turned to the east, toward the rising sun.

Neither Usui Horokeu nor Tao Ren was ever seen again.

**FINI**


End file.
